BY GEROME DALIPE IV
ILOILO City – The Department of Transportation (DOTr) and the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) have been urged anew to hasten the negotiation for the rehabilitation and expansion of the Iloilo International Airport.
The call came after Cebu Pacific Air announced the resumption of direct flights from Iloilo to Hong Kong and Singapore and vice versa barely four years after it stopped during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Michelle Eve de Guzman, Cebu Pacific’s marketing director, announced this during the 33rd Visayas Area Business Conference (VABC) at the Iloilo Convention Center. Likewise, Guzman said the daily flights to Iloilo Hong Kong and vice-versa will begin on Oct. 27, 2024.
Mayor Jerry Treñas welcomed the airline’s announcement, saying these direct flights help boost tourism and trade between Iloilo and these key Asian cities, making it easier for travelers to explore the rich culture and business opportunities in Iloilo City.
“I am very pleased with the additional flights of Cebu Pacific from Iloilo International Airport including Hong Kong and Singapore,” said Treñas.
The mayor requested airline companies to resume their direct international flights upon the request of several overseas Filipino workers from Hong Kong and Singapore. Some overseas workers also use these direct international flights as transfers from their original places of work in the United States, Europe, or the Middle East.
“It is now imperative that DOTr (Department of Transportation) proceeds with the PPP (Public-Private Partnership) of our international airport with haste and urgency. I also call on the customs and the commission on immigration to be prepared for these flights,” the mayor added.
The proposal to rehabilitate and operate the Iloilo International Airport is undergoing procedures under Republic Act 11966 or the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Code of the Philippines.
In his request to the airline firms, the mayor emphasized the resumption of these flights is crucial for bolstering business opportunities, facilitating tourism, and supporting local industries that rely on international travel.
Treñas’s appeal highlights the city’s readiness to welcome back international travelers and underscores the potential positive impact on the local economy.
He also cited the growing tourism industry in Iloilo had been growing steadily, indicating a strong potential for passenger volume growth.
Local businesses and overseas workers rely on efficient air travel for their operations and family connections, the mayor noted. Infrastructure developments in the region have contributed to the city’s increased air traffic.
Currently, the Iloilo Airport caters to 70 flights daily, with 35 arrivals and 35 departures.
Negotiation on the proposed P14.7-billion rehabilitation and expansion of the Iloilo International Airport is expected to be completed on or before Sept. 3, 2024, according to the CAAP.
In his letter to Treñas, Capt. Manuel Antonio Tamayo, CAAP director general, said the unsolicited proposal for the rehabilitation, expansion, and maintenance of the Iloilo Airport is in the negotiation stage with Prime Asset Ventures Inc. (PAVI), the holding company of real estate magnate and former senator Manuel B. Villar Jr.
“The negotiation team is committed to expediting the process and to finish the negotiation by the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) process,” said Tamayo.
Prime Asset offers to improve the management and operational capability of CAAP in managing the Iloilo Airport through an operate-add-transfer (OAT) contractual agreement.
The project includes expanding the airport’s passenger terminal building with necessary facilities as per International Civil Aviation to accommodate passengers, constructing an apron adjacent to the new terminal building, and renovating and maintaining the existing terminal building.
The project also intends to install the required equipment for the passenger services in the new terminal building and operation and maintenance of the passenger terminal buildings and equipment/facilities in the terminal building during the entire concession period.
The Villar group has submitted an unsolicited proposal for the operation, maintenance, and expansion of the Iloilo airport as early as 2018. PAVI has an authorized capital of P10 billion, with Villar holding 99.99 percent of the company./PN
